Navigation
/ˌnæv.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/noun
The act or process of planning and directing the course of a ship, vehicle, or journey.
Did you know?Navigation descends from Latin navigatio, from navis (“ship”) + agere (“to drive, do, set in motion”), so the word carries the old force of steering a vessel through the unknown.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*néh₂us
“ship”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eǵ-
“to drive, lead, set in motion”
Latin
Latin
nāvis
“ship”
Latin
Latin
agere
“to drive, lead, do”
Latin
Latin
navigātiō
“sailing, ship passage”
Old French
Old French
navigation
“sailing, maritime travel”
Modern English
English
navigation
“the act of directing the course of travel”